CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to computerized methods and
apparatus for optimizing capacity expansion in a mobile network.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Traditional methods of provisioning resources in a mobile network have included adding
additional physical infrastructure when a resource is at capacity. Physical equipment
is designed to have fixed capacity ratios. Once a particular dimension (e.g., throughput,
signaling activities, session capacity) is exhausted, a mobile network operator has
no choice but to put in more equipment even though all of the other dimensions may
be underutilized. This leads to increased capital and operational expenses.
[0003] WO2012/175140 relates to gateway selection for load balancing in a network.
[0004] US 2014/0023029 relates to a gateway device and gateway selection method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for optimizing capacity of
network equipment in mobile networks. In some embodiments, a computing device receives
a user identification and a user attribute, the user identification corresponding
to a characteristic of the mobile network user, the user attribute corresponding to
at least one characteristic of mobile network usage by the mobile network user. In
some embodiments, the computing device generates a usage prediction based on the user
identification and the user attribute, the usage prediction including information
corresponding to anticipated future data usage of the mobile network user, the anticipated
future mobile network usage corresponding to at least one mobile resource. In some
embodiments, the computing device transmits the usage prediction to a serving gateway
(SGW) such that the SGW routes the mobile network user to one of a legacy packet data
network gateway (PGW) and a network function virtualization (NFV) PGW based on the
usage prediction, the legacy PGW including a fixed capacity for the at least one mobile
resource and the NFV PGW including a configurable capacity for the at least one mobile
resource.
[0007] In some embodiments, the at least one characteristic of the mobile network usage
of the mobile network user includes amount of prior mobile network usage, a time correlating
to the mobile network usage, location of a mobile device corresponding to the mobile
user, amount of time spent roaming by the mobile device, make and model of the mobile
device, application installed on the mobile device, operating system and firmware
version of the mobile device, subscription plan, remaining quota, and demographics
information. In some embodiments, the at least one characteristic of the mobile network
user includes a mobile device ID or a phone number. In some embodiments, wherein receiving
the user attribute further comprises receiving the user attribute from at least one
of a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Mobility Management Entity (MME), a billing system,
and a System Architecture Evolution (SAE) gateway. In some embodiments, the mobile
resource comprises at least one of signaling activities, throughput, session occupancy,
encryption, and transcoding.
[0008] These and other capabilities of the disclosed subject matter will be more fully understood
after a review of the following figures, detailed description, and claims. It is to
be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0009] Various objectives, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter can
be more fully appreciated with reference to the following detailed description of
the disclosed subject matter when considered in connection with the following drawings,
in which like reference numerals identify like elements.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing demands a mobile network user incurs on a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a traditional method of expansion using legacy equipment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating method of expansion using legacy equipment and NFV-based
equipment, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a system diagram illustrating a user in connection with a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a usage prediction engine, according to some embodiments
of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a system diagram of a mobile network, according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a system diagram illustrating capacity optimization in a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] A mobile network can include mobile users with vastly different usage characteristics.
For example, some mobile users are data heavy and consume large quantities of data,
driving up the total amount of data throughput that the network needs to support.
Other users can be very signaling heavy and make a lot of connections (e.g., using
"chatty" mobile applications which send updates frequently) but transfer only small
amount of data. Even though they use only a small amount of data, they drive up the
amount of signaling processing required by the network. Yet some other users might
be relatively idle in both data throughput and signaling dimensions (e.g., networked
power meter readers), but there are many of them and just signing them onto the network
takes up a lot of session capacity. To accommodate all types of users, a network operator
needs to deploy enough networking equipment to cover the worst case of all these dimensions
(e.g., throughput, signaling activities, session capacity, and maybe other dimensions).
Since legacy networking equipment is designed with a fixed capacity ratio (supporting
X number of users, Y amount of signaling and Z amount of data throughput), covering
the worst case of one dimension will lead to under-utilization of the others. For
example, a legacy platform deployed in the network may be hitting 100% of the session
capacity but utilizing only 20% of the throughput capacity. Even though there is still
excess throughput capacity, new equipment needs to be installed to increase the number
of users supported. This drives up both capital and operational costs.
[0011] Previously, a user base is segregated into separate applications. For example, regular
consumers are separated from machine-to-machine devices. Devices can be categorized
such that the devices have similar demands. Devices with similar demands can be assigned
to equipment with different performance characteristics, which often comes from a
different manufacturer. Even with this approach, the problem of optimizing capacity
is not solved because of at least the following: (1) the broad categorization of users
does not guarantee that users within a group have similar usage demands. The equipment
serving a category of users can still be underutilized in some dimensions; (2) capital
and operational expenditures will increase since the operators now need to potentially
deal with equipment from multiple vendors, which may or may not interoperate well;
(3) when the demands from different group of users change over time, the operator
would need to repartition the users and reallocate the network resources which can
be time consuming and costly.
[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure include using Network Function Virtualization
(NFV) on platforms with different capability and cost characteristics to handle demands
introduced by different types of users. Configured differently (both in terms of hardware
and software), different NFV based platforms can have different strengths and weaknesses.
For example, one NFV based platform can be designed so that it can house a lot of
users (e.g., by using servers with a lot of memory), but with limited throughput and
signaling capability. Another NFV based platform can be designed so that it can process
a lot of throughput (e.g., by using specialized network adaptor cards). Yet another
NFV based platform can be designed so that it can handle a lot of signaling (e.g.,
with a high power CPU). These NFV based platforms with different characteristics can
be put together in a network to meet the different demands introduced by different
types of users. To maximize the effectiveness and minimize the costs, users of different
characteristics are directed to the servers with matching strength so that each server
is best utilized. In this way, the strength of the legacy and NFV based platforms
complement the weaknesses of one another. Network equipment can therefore be better
utilized, leading to a lower overall capital and operational cost.
[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure include a function to classify and
direct mobile users or subscribers to different network equipment based on past and
predicted future usage characteristics to match the capacity characteristics of the
network equipment. The users do not need to be segregated into different groups (e.g.,
separating users into different Access Point Names or APN's.) The network can appear
seamless to end users and therefore there is little change in the user experience.
Operators can make use of NFV to deploy platforms with different cost and performance
characteristics. NFV is suitable for such applications since it allows the same network
function to run on different hardware platforms. These hardware platforms range from
highly sophisticated blade server chassis to low cost server boxes, which provide
different performance and capacity.
[0014] In some cases, additional capability can be obtained by building a server with specialized
hardware, such as a chip for hardware encryption, to support certain groups of users.
[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure can be used as a green field solution
(e.g., a new network made up of only NFV based platforms), or to supplement an existing
legacy network which is running out of capacity. In the latter case, NFV servers can
be designed to specifically relieve the bottlenecks of the legacy equipment and make
the utilization of all performance dimensions more balanced. In the following, techniques
are described to determine the choke point of the existing legacy platforms, to build
NFV based platforms to relieve these choke points, to predict and identify the usage
characteristics of the users, and to direct them to the NFV based platforms which
can best handle the demands.
[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure make use of network function virtualization
based platforms with different capabilities and cost characteristics to complement
existing legacy equipment which has fixed capacity ratios. The legacy and NFV based
platforms can work seamlessly as a single network. In some embodiments, the NFV based
platforms are designed to complement the weakness of the legacy platform so that when
they work together, it reduces the chance of overloading a certain capacity dimension
and overall all the network nodes will be better utilized.
[0017] In some embodiments, in order to make the best use of the different capabilities
of the legacy and NFV based platforms, when a user tries to access the network, the
usage characteristics of the user are predicted based on a number of factors including
his past usage pattern. The user is then directed to the network nodes which can best
handle the user's demands.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing demands a mobile network user incurs on a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a mobile device
101, signaling activities 102, throughput 103, session occupancy 104 and other dimensions
105.
[0019] As shown in Figure 1, a mobile network user 101 incurs demands on the mobile network
on a number of different dimensions. The user generates signaling activities 102 when
registering to and deregistering from the network, when roaming around the network,
etc. The user puts demands on the throughput dimension 103 when he or she is browsing
web pages or sending status updates. The user also occupies one or more session spaces
104 when he or she is attached to the network. Finally, there are demands on other
dimensions 105 for example if the user requires encryption or image/video transcoding
services. Not all users behave the same way. A data heavy user consumes a lot of data
and drives up the demand on the throughput dimension. Other users could be very signaling
heavy and make lots of connections (e.g., using "chatty" apps which send a lot of
updates) but transferring only small amount of data. Some users can drive up the demands
on the signaling dimension in the network. Yet some other users might be relatively
idle in both the data throughput and the signaling dimensions (e.g., networked power
meter readers), but there are many of them and just keeping them signed onto the network
requires a lot of session capacity.
[0020] Network operators often have to install more network equipment to handle the aggregate
demands in the different dimensions described above. Since legacy network equipment
is designed to support a fixed capacity ratio (supporting X number of users, Y amount
of signaling and Z amount of data throughput), covering the worst case of one dimension
often leads to under-utilization of the others. For example, a network node may be
hitting 100% of the session capacity but utilizing only 50% of the throughput. Even
though there is still excess throughput capacity, new legacy equipment is installed
to increase the number of users supported. Installing new legacy equipment can drive
up both capital and operational costs.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a traditional method of expansion using legacy equipment.
FIG. 2 shows a network operator reaching maximum session capacity with a first legacy
platform 201, capacity of a first legacy platform 202 after a 2x expansion 210, and
capacity of a second legacy platform 203 after a 2x expansion 210.
[0022] As shown in 201, a network operator reaches maximum capacity in a first legacy platform.
The first legacy platform has a maximum throughput of 100 units and a maximum of 100
sessions. 50 of the 100 units of throughput are used, while 100 of the 100 sessions
are used. When the network operator anticipates a doubling of demand (e.g., 100 units
of throughput and 200 sessions), the network operator has to find a way to increase
capacity. To double the capacity 210, the network operator installs a second legacy
platform. In some embodiments, an operator can determine the capacity usage of a platform
by monitoring peak usage levels of a device (e.g., monitoring usage during busy hours).
A platform can specify the maximum value for each dimension (e.g., 10 million sessions,
50 Gbps of throughput at a CPU limit such as 80%). For example, to determine an amount
of session usage, an operator can use a statistic counter to see how many sessions
are used during a busy hour. As another example, an operator can determine an amount
of throughput by measuring the throughput at a specific CPU limit during a busy hour.
An operator can determine capacity by measuring an amount of CPU usage during. In
both the first legacy platform 202 and the second legacy platform 203, 50 of the 100
units of throughput are used, while 100 of the 100 sessions are used. After the expansion,
both legacy platforms are still bottlenecked by the session dimension. The capacity
ratio in the expanded legacy platform (e.g., equal capacity for session and throughput)
does not match the demand by the users (e.g., lots of sessions but not as much throughput).
[0023] In contrast, the preferred embodiment of the present invention calls for understanding
the cause for the bottleneck of existing legacy platforms, the present and future
usage pattern of the users, and building NFV based platforms to complement the legacy
platforms so that all capacity dimensions can be better utilized.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating method of expansion using legacy equipment and NFV-based
equipment, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a
network operator reaching a maximum session capacity with a first legacy platform
201, capacity of a first legacy platform 302 after a 2x expansion 310, and capacity
of a second NFV-based platform 303 after a 2x expansion 310. While FIG. 3 illustrates
expansion in two dimensions (e.g., session and throughput), a similar technique can
be applied to any number of dimensions.
[0025] As described above, an operator has reached capacity in a first legacy platform with
50 of 100 units of throughput used and 100 of 100 sessions used 201. When the network
operator anticipates a doubling of demand (e.g., 100 units of throughput and 200 sessions),
the network operator doubles the capacity 210 by installing an NFV-based platform
303. As shown after expansion 310, the combination of the first legacy platform 302
and the NFV-based platform 303 takes into consideration the present and future usage
patterns of the users. For example, if 20% of the users are using 80% of the throughput,
it means that out of the 100 users:
- 20 heavy users are using 40 units of throughput; and
- 80 light users are using 10 units of throughput.
[0026] When the demand doubles, there is a total of 200 users, out of which
- 40 heavy users use 80 units of throughput; and
- 160 light users use 20 units of throughput.
[0027] An NFV-based platform can be built to support 200 users but only support 40 units
of throughput, mostly likely at a fraction of the cost compared to the legacy platform.
This can be done due to the flexible nature of NFV solutions - a platform can be built
with a lot of memory to support more sessions, but only moderately powerful CPU for
throughput processing to reduce cost. The 160 light users can be directed to the NFV
based platform 303 while the heavy users can be directed to the legacy platform 302.
If the legacy platform costs $1M and the NFV platform costs $0.2M, then the cost for
doubling the capacity would be:
- $2M if only legacy platforms are used (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2); and
- $1.2M if one NFV based platform is added to the legacy platform (e.g., as shown in
FIG. 3).
[0028] Using NFV-based platforms can save $0.8M or 40% of the cost of using only legacy
platforms. As described in FIGS. 2 and 3, the legacy platform has high throughput
capacity but not enough session capacity. The NFV based platform complements the legacy
platform by offering high session capacity but offering low throughput capacity to
keep cost down. There are many different ways to build the NFV based platform to complement
the legacy platforms. Operators can decide on cost and performance tradeoffs of different
components such as memory, CPU, or other specialized chips, as well as how future
demands will change. Using an NFV-based platform allows an operator to analyze demands
from different users, build NFV-based platforms with capabilities which complement
the legacy platforms, and direct the users appropriately to the different platforms
to make best use of the capacity on all the platforms.
[0029] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein direct and classify
users based on past and predicted demands. Predicting user capacity demands can help
to balance capacity usage on both the legacy platform and the NFV based platforms.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a system diagram illustrating a user in connection with a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows mobile network
user 401, classifier 402, usage prediction engine 403, legacy network platform 404,
NFV-based platform 405 and mobile network 406.
[0031] Mobile network user 401 can include mobile network subscribers who access the mobile
network 406 via one or more mobile network devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, tablets).
As described in more detail below, mobile network 406 comprises a plurality of network
devices. Briefly, network device in mobile network 406 can route and analyze user
traffic.
[0032] As a user 401 signs onto the network 406, a classifier 402 consults usage prediction
engine 403 to predict a resource usage pattern. Classifier 402 is a component which
takes information from the user and his/her equipment (e.g., the Mobile equipment
identifier), consults the usage prediction engine 403 and makes decision on which
platform to put the user on in the mobile network 406. Classifier 402 can be implemented
as a separate component, or as part of a certain network device (e.g., on the load
balancer) in the mobile network. Usage prediction engine 403, which is described in
more detail below, is a component that takes user identification and other attributes
related to the user, and predicts the future network resource usage of the user. Based
on a result from usage prediction engine 403, user 401 is directed to be serviced
by legacy network platform 404 or a NFV based platform 405. As described above, classifier
also receives an input from both the legacy and the NFV based platforms corresponding
to their available capacity level, and their capabilities (e.g., encryption, video
transcoding).
[0033] In some embodiments, a user can be directed to either a legacy platform or an NFV-based
platform based on characteristics of either the user or the platform. For example,
a user can be directed when the user joins a network (e.g., when the user powers up
the phone in the morning). In addition, existing users can also be actively migrated
from one system to another if the loading of the existing system reaches a certain
threshold, or the characteristics of the user change significantly.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a usage prediction engine, according to some embodiments
of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 shows user identification 501, usage prediction
engine 502, usage prediction 503, past usage pattern and trend 504, temporal information
505, user location 506, past mobility pattern 507, make and model of mobile device
508, installed applications 509, operating system (OS) and firmware version 510, subscription
plan 511, remaining quota 512 and demographics information 513.
[0035] Usage prediction engine 502 receives user identification 501 and user attributes
504-513. As described in more detail below, user prediction engine 502 predicts future
usage demands of the user 503 based on the inputs. User identification 501 corresponds
to information about a user's mobile device (e.g., International Mobile Equipment
Identity (IMEI)). User attributes can be collected from various components in a mobile
network, as described in more detail in FIG 6.
[0036] User attributes 504-513 include, but are not limited to:
- (1) The past usage pattern and trend of the user 504 - a data heavy user is likely
to be data heavy in the future.
- (2) Time of day, day of the week, and date of the year 505 - the temporal information
provides clues on what service the user uses on the mobile device. Occurrences of
any mass events (e.g., Super Bowl) can also be helpful in predicting the usage pattern
of the user.
- (3) The location of the user 506 - similar to the temporal information, the geographical
location information can be helpful in predicting the usage pattern. For example,
if the user is located in the city where there are more cell sites of smaller size,
it is likely that the user will experience higher amount of handover events as he/she
goes back and forth between cell sites. Whereas if the user is located in a suburban
area, a cell site is likely to cover a larger area and the chance of handovers will
be smaller.
- (4) The past mobility pattern 507 - a user who roams around a lot in the past will
likely roam around a lot in the future.
- (5) Make and model of the mobile device 508 - sometimes specific types of mobile devices
have vastly different resource usages. For example, a user with a touch screen phone
will use more data service compare to user of a feature phone with no touch screen
support.
- (6) Installed mobile applications 509 - some mobile apps are more "chatty" than others
and trigger a lot more connections.
- (7) OS and firmware version of the mobile device 510 - demands can be different with
different OS versions. For example, the messenger application on Apple iOS 8 supports
voice and video in addition to text. That most likely translates to higher throughput
usage.
- (8) Subscription plan of the user 511- For example, a user with a low data cap will
use less data than one with a large data cap.
- (9) The remaining quota for the current billing period 512 - For example, a user with
a low remaining quota is likely to be more constrained in bandwidth usage than one
with plenty of quota left.
- (10) The demographic profile of the user 513 - For example, usage behavior is likely
to be drastically different between a teenager user versus an adult user. A teenager
user is likely to consume more data via their social activities while an adult user
may use more voice calls than data in his/her day to day activities.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a system diagram of a mobile network, according to some embodiments of
the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 601, Mobility Management
Entity (MME) 602, billing system 603, eNodeB 604, System Architecture Evolution (SAE)
Gateway 605, and Analytics Server 606. All of the elements shown in FIG. 6 can be
either legacy or virtual.
[0038] In some embodiments, some operators may have an Analytics Server 606 to collect and
analyze usage statistics about the users. This information can be fed into the prediction
engine directly. In other embodiments, prediction engine contains analytic abilities
of analytics server 606, and the two components are subsumed into one unit.
[0039] Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 601 contains information about the mobility of the user.
Mobility information can be fed periodically into an analytics server 606 to compute
the past mobility pattern of the user.
[0040] Mobility Management Entity (MME) 602 tracks a current location of a device and can
send location information to analytics server 606 for further processing.
[0041] Billing system contains a subscription plan, remaining quotas, and other billing
related information of the user. Billing information can be fed to the analytics server
606 for usage trend determination.
[0042] SAE gateways 605 can examine all traffic to and from the user. By using Deep Packet
Inspection (DPI) techniques, usage information can be extracted from data traffic
including device make and model, installed and most frequently used apps, OS and firmware
version, etc. In some embodiments, DPI data is fed into the analytics server 606 for
further analysis before being used by the prediction engine.
[0043] In some embodiments, usage trend of a user changes slowly over time. When usage trends
change slowly, usage prediction engine does not need to update its prediction for
a user in real time. For example, the prediction for a particular user can be updated
once a week, and for different users a different interval can be used. In some embodiments,
usage trends change more rapidly. For example, when certain events happen, the prediction
can be triggered to update on demand. For example, prediction can be updated immediately
if the user switched to another subscription plan or to a new phone.
[0044] When a new subscriber joins the network, there will not be much usage history to
build predictions from. Initially, new users can be treated as an "average" user with
average throughput and signaling loads. Alternatively, predictions can be made based
on the limited amount of information available. For example, if the new subscriber
is a teenager, he/she is likely to have more chatty apps such as Facebook, Instagram
or Snapchat, which will incur more signaling load. If instead, the new subscriber
is a business account who has signed up for tethering, he/she is likely to be a heavier
data user. Prediction update frequency for new users can be higher so that the prediction
can quickly converge based on newly acquired factors. At this stage, the user can
be put on either the legacy system or the NFV system. Once the user is classified,
it can then be moved between the legacy and the NFV systems for optimal use of network
resources.
[0045] FIG. 7 is a system diagram illustrating capacity optimization in a mobile network,
according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows prediction engine
701, Serving Gateway (SGW) 702, Legacy Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) 703 and NFV-based
PGW 704.
[0046] When a subscriber switches on the phone, the phone will try to establish a session
with the mobile network. The request will eventually be sent to SGW 701 and the SGW
701 selects a PGW 703 704 to home the user session. One of the PGW nodes includes
legacy equipment 703 and the other PGW node includes an NFV-based platform 704. Normally,
SGW selects a PGW based on Access Point Name (APN) only. The APN identifies the packet
data network (PDN) that a mobile data user wants to communicate with, and is assigned
to a user when they activate their subscription plan. In preferred embodiments, SGW
consults the prediction engine to determine the best place to home the user session
based on the characteristics of the user. For example, the classifier / prediction
engine may provide an API based on Simple Object Access protocol (SOAP) or Representational
State Transfer (REST) in which SGW can call to get a decision as to where to set up
the session. Once the SGW decide to set up the session on, say, the NFV based PGW,
all future signaling and data traffic related to the subscriber will be handled by
the selected PGW.
[0047] The subject matter described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry,
or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structural means disclosed
in this specification and structural equivalents thereof, or in combinations of them.
The subject matter described herein can be implemented as one or more computer program
products, such as one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in an information
carrier (e.g., in a machine readable storage device), or embodied in a propagated
signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus
(e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). A computer program
(also known as a program, software, software application, or code) can be written
in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages,
and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module,
component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.
A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file. A program can be stored
in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data, in a single file dedicated
to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store
one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be
deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.
[0048] The processes and logic flows described in this specification, including the method
steps of the subject matter described herein, can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions of the subject
matter described herein by operating on input data and generating output. The processes
and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus of the subject matter described
herein can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field
programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).
[0049] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example,
both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processor of
any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and
data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements
of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices
for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be
operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more
mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical
disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and
data include all forms of nonvolatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor
memory devices, (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices); magnetic disks, (e.g.,
internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto optical disks; and optical disks
(e.g., CD and DVD disks). The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or
incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
[0050] To provide for interaction with a user, the subject matter described herein can be
implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube)
or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and
a keyboard and a pointing device, (e.g., a mouse or a trackball), by which the user
can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for
interaction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to the user can be
any form of sensory feedback, (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile
feedback), and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic,
speech, or tactile input.
[0051] The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computing system that
includes a back end component (e.g., a data server), a middleware component (e.g.,
an application server), or a front end component (e.g., a client computer having a
graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an
implementation of the subject matter described herein), or any combination of such
back end, middleware, and front end components. The components of the system can be
interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication
network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and
a wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.
[0052] It is to be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not limited in its application
to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth
in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed subject
matter is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various
ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein
are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0053] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of
other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the
disclosed subject matter. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the
scope of the disclosed subject matter.
[0054] Although the disclosed subject matter has been described and illustrated in the foregoing
exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made
only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of implementation
of the disclosed subject matter may be made without departing from the scope of the
disclosed subject matter, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
1. A computerized method of optimizing capacity of network equipment in mobile networks,
the computerized method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device (402), a usage prediction (503) based on a user identification
(501) and a user attribute, the user identification (501) corresponding to a characteristic
of a mobile network user, the user attribute corresponding to at least one characteristic
of mobile network usage by the mobile network user, the usage prediction including
information corresponding to anticipated future data usage of the mobile network user,
the anticipated future mobile network data usage corresponding to at least one mobile
resource;
receiving, by the computing device (402), a capacity level from at least one of a
legacy packet data network gateway, PGW, (703) and a network function virtualization,
NFV, PGW (704), the legacy PGW (703) including a fixed capacity for the at least one
mobile resource and the NFV PGW (704) including a configurable capacity for the at
least one mobile resource;
calculating, by the computing device (402), a routing decision based on a comparison
of the usage prediction and the capacity level, the routing decision associated with
directing a serving gateway, SGW, (702) to route the mobile network user to the at
least one of the legacy PGW (703) and the NFV PGW (704); and
transmitting, by the computing device, the routing decision to the SGW (702).
2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the
mobile network usage of the mobile network user includes amount of prior mobile network
usage (504), a time correlating to the mobile network usage (505), location of a mobile
device corresponding to the mobile user (506), amount of time spent roaming by the
mobile device (507), make and model of the mobile device (508), application installed
on the mobile device (509), operating system and firmware version of the mobile device
(510), subscription plan (511), remaining quota (512), and demographics information
(513).
3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the
mobile network user includes a mobile device ID or a phone number.
4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user attribute further comprises
receiving the user attribute from at least one of a Home Subscriber Server, HSS, (601),
Mobility Management Entity, MME, (602), a billing system (603), and a System Architecture
Evolution, SAE, gateway (605).
5. The computerized method of claim1, wherein the mobile resource comprises at least
one of signaling activities, throughput, session occupancy, encryption, and transcoding.
6. A system for optimizing capacity of network equipment in mobile networks, the system
comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and including computer-readable instructions that,
when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive a usage prediction based on a user identification (501) and a user attribute,
the user identification (501) corresponding to a characteristic of a mobile network
user, the user attribute corresponding to at least one characteristic of mobile network
usage by the mobile network user, the usage prediction including information corresponding
to anticipated future data usage of the mobile network user, the anticipated future
mobile network data usage corresponding to at least one mobile resource;
receive a capacity level from at least one of a legacy packet data network gateway,
PGW, (703) and a network function virtualization, NFV, PGW (704), the legacy PGW (703)
including a fixed capacity for the at least one mobile resource and the NFV PGW (704)
including a configurable capacity for the at least one mobile resource;
calculate a routing decision based on a comparison of the usage prediction and the
capacity level, the routing decision associated with directing a serving gateway,
SGW, (702) to route the mobile network user to the at least one of the legacy PGW
(703) and the NFV PGW (704); and
transmit the routing decision to the SGW (702).
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one characteristic of the mobile network
usage of the mobile network user includes amount of prior mobile network usage (504),
a time correlating to the mobile network usage (505), location of a mobile device
corresponding to the mobile user (506), amount of time spent roaming by the mobile
device (507), make and model of the mobile device (508), application installed on
the mobile device (509), operating system and firmware version of the mobile device
(510), subscription plan (511), remaining quota (512), and demographics information
(513).
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one characteristic of the mobile network
user includes a mobile device ID or a phone number.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further caused to receive the user
attribute from at least one of a Home Subscriber Server, HSS (601), Mobility Management
Entity, MME, (602), a billing system (603), and a System Architecture Evolution, SAE,
gateway (604).
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile resource comprises at least one of signaling
activities, throughput, session occupancy, encryption, and transcoding.
1. Computerisiertes Verfahren zum Optimieren der Kapazität von Netzwerkausrüstung in
Mobilnetzwerken, wobei das computerisierte Verfahren aufweist:
ein Empfangen, durch eine Datenverarbeitungseinheit (402), einer Nutzungsvorhersage
(503) auf Grundlage einer Benutzeridentifikation (501) und eines Benutzerattributs,
wobei die Benutzeridentifikation (501) einem Merkmal eines Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers
entspricht, wobei das Benutzerattribut mindestens einem Merkmal der Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung
durch den Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzer entspricht, wobei die Nutzungsvorhersage Informationen
enthält, die einer erwarteten zukünftigen Datennutzung des Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers
entsprechen, wobei die erwartete zukünftige Mobilnetzwerk-Datennutzung mindestens
einer mobilen Ressource entspricht,
ein Empfangen, durch die Datenverarbeitungseinheit (402), eines Kapazitätswerts von
mindestens entweder einem Netzwerk-Gateway für Legacy-Paketdaten, PGW, (703) oder
einer Netzwerk-Funktionsvirtualisierung, NFV, PGW (704), wobei das Legacy-PGW (703)
eine feste Kapazität für die mindestens eine mobile Ressource enthält, und die NFV
PGW (704) eine konfigurierbare Kapazität für die mindestens eine mobile Ressource
enthält;
ein Berechnen, durch die Datenverarbeitungseinheit (402), einer Weiterleitungsentscheidung
auf Grundlage eines Vergleichs der Nutzungsvorhersage und des Kapazitätswerts, wobei
die Weiterleitungsentscheidung einem Anweisen eines bedienenden Gateway, SGW, (702)
zugehörig ist, den Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzer zu mindestens entweder dem Legacy-PGW (703)
oder dem NFV PDW (704) weiterzuleiten;
und ein Übertragen, durch die Datenverarbeitungseinheit, der Weiterleitungsentscheidung
zu dem SGW (702).
2. Computerisiertes Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei das mindestens eine Merkmal der
Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung des Mobilnetzwerks einen Umfang von früherer Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung
(504), eine zu der Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung korrelierende Zeit (505), einen Standort
einer Mobileinheit, die dem mobilen Benutzer entspricht (506), eine Zeitdauer, die
durch die Mobileinheit mit Roaming verbracht wird (507), ein Fabrikat und Modell der
Mobileinheit (508), eine auf der Mobileinheit installierte Anwendung (509), Betriebssystem
und Firmware-Version der Mobileinheit (510), einen Abonnementplan (511), restliche
Kontingente (512) und demografische Informationen (513) enthält.
3. Computerisiertes Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei das mindestens eine Merkmal des
Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers eine ID der Mobileinheit oder eine Telefonnummer enthält.
4. Computerisiertes Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei ein Empfangen des Benutzerattributs
ferner ein Empfangen des Benutzerattributs von mindestens entweder einem Heimatteilnehmerserver,
HSS, (601), einer Mobilitätsverwaltungsentität, MME, (602), einem Fakturierungssystem
(603) oder einem Systemarchitekturentwicklungs-, SAE, Gateway (605) aufweist.
5. Computerisiertes Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei die mobile Ressource mindestens
entweder Signalisierungsaktivitäten, Durchsatz, Sitzungsbelegung, Verschlüsselung
oder Transcodierung aufweist.
6. System zum Optimieren der Kapazität von Netzwerkausrüstung in Mobilnetzwerken, wobei
das System aufweist:
einen Prozessor;
und einen Arbeitsspeicher, der mit dem Prozessor verbunden ist und durch einen Computer
lesbare Anweisungen enthält, die bei Ausführung durch einen Prozessor den Prozessor
veranlassen zum:
Empfangen einer Nutzungsvorhersage auf Grundlage einer Benutzeridentifikation (501)
und eines Benutzerattributs, wobei die Benutzeridentifikation (501) einem Merkmal
eines Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers entspricht, wobei das Benutzerattribut mindestens einem
Merkmal der Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung durch den Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzer entspricht, wobei
die Nutzungsvorhersage Informationen enthält, die einer erwarteten zukünftigen Datennutzung
des Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers entsprechen, wobei die erwartete zukünftige Mobilnetzwerk-Datennutzung
mindestens einer mobilen Ressource entspricht,
Empfangen eines Kapazitätswerts von mindestens entweder einem Netzwerk-Gateway für
Legacy-Paketdaten, PGW, (703) oder einer Netzwerk-Funktionsvirtualisierung, NFV, PGW
(704), wobei das Legacy-PGW (703) eine feste Kapazität für die mindestens eine mobile
Ressource enthält, und die NFV PGW (704) eine konfigurierbare Kapazität für die mindestens
eine mobile Ressource enthält;
Berechnen einer Weiterleitungsentscheidung auf Grundlage eines Vergleichs der Nutzungsvorhersage
und des Kapazitätswerts, wobei die Weiterleitungsentscheidung einem Anweisen eines
bedienenden Gateway, SGW, (702) zugehörig ist, den Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzer zu mindestens
entweder dem Legacy-PGW (703) oder dem NFV PDW (704) weiterzuleiten;
und Übertragen der Weiterleitungsentscheidung zu dem SGW (702).
7. System nach Anspruch 6, wobei das mindestens eine Merkmal der Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung
des Mobilnetzwerks einen Umfang von früherer Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung (504), eine zu
der Mobilnetzwerk-Nutzung korrelierende Zeit (505), einen Standort einer Mobileinheit,
die dem mobilen Benutzer entspricht (506), eine Zeitdauer, die durch die Mobileinheit
mit Roaming verbracht wird (507), ein Fabrikat und Modell der Mobileinheit (508),
eine auf der Mobileinheit installierte Anwendung (509), Betriebssystem und Firmware-Version
der Mobileinheit (510), einen Abonnementplan (511), restliche Kontingente (512) und
demografische Informationen (513) enthält.
8. System nach Anspruch 6, wobei das mindestens eine Merkmal des Mobilnetzwerk-Benutzers
eine ID der Mobileinheit oder eine Telefonnummer enthält.
9. System nach Anspruch 6, wobei der Prozessor ferner veranlasst wird, das Benutzerattribut
von mindestens entweder einem Heimatteilnehmerserver, HSS, (601), einer Mobilitätsverwaltungsentität,
MME, (602), einem Fakturierungssystem (603) oder einem Systemarchitekturentwicklungs-,
SAE, Gateway (604) zu empfangen.
10. System nach Anspruch 6, wobei die mobile Ressource mindestens entweder Signalisierungsaktivitäten,
Durchsatz, Sitzungsbelegung, Verschlüsselung oder Transcodierung aufweist.
1. Méthode informatisée pour optimiser la capacité d'équipements de réseau dans des réseaux
mobiles, la méthode informatisée comprenant :
la réception, par un dispositif informatique (402), d'une prévision d'utilisation
(503) basée sur un identifiant d'utilisateur (501) et un attribut d'utilisateur, l'identifiant
d'utilisateur (501) correspondant à une caractéristique d'un utilisateur de réseau
mobile, l'attribut d'utilisateur correspondant à au moins une caractéristique d'utilisation
du réseau mobile par l'utilisateur de réseau mobile, la prévision d'utilisation comprenant
des informations correspondant à une utilisation de données futures prévues pour l'utilisateur
de réseau mobile, l'utilisation future prévue de données de réseau mobile correspondant
à au moins une ressource mobile ;
la réception, par le dispositif informatique (402), d'un niveau de capacité d'au moins
une passerelle de réseau de données en mode paquet existante, PGW, (703) et d'une
virtualisation de fonction réseau, NFV, PGW (704), le PGW (703) existant comprenant
une capacité fixe pour l'au moins une ressource mobile, et le NFV PGW (704) comprenant
une capacité configurable pour l'au moins une ressource mobile ;
le calcul, par le dispositif informatique (402), d'une décision de routage sur la
base d'une comparaison de la prévision d'utilisation et du niveau de capacité, la
décision de routage étant associée avec la direction d'une passerelle de desserte,
SGW, (702) pour acheminer l'utilisateur de réseau mobile à l'au moins une de la PGW
(703) existante et de la NFV PGW (704) ; et
la transmission, par le dispositif informatique, de la décision de routage à la SGW
(702).
2. Méthode informatisée selon la revendication 1, l'au moins une caractéristique d'utilisation
du réseau mobile par l'utilisateur de réseau mobile comprenant la quantité d'utilisation
précédente du réseau mobile (504), une heure corrélant à l'utilisation du réseau mobile
(505), l'emplacement de l'appareil mobile correspondant à l'utilisateur mobile (506),
le temps d'utilisation en itinérance de l'appareil mobile (507), la marque et le modèle
de l'appareil mobile (508), l'application installée dans l'appareil mobile (509),
le système d'exploitation et la version du micro-logiciel de l'appareil mobile (510),
l'abonnement (511), la cote restante (512) et des informations démographiques (513).
3. Méthode informatisée selon la revendication 1, l'au moins une caractéristique de l'utilisateur
du réseau mobile comprenant un identifiant d'appareil mobile ou un numéro de téléphone.
4. Méthode informatisée selon la revendication 1, la réception de l'attribut d'utilisateur
comprenant en outre la réception de l'attribut d'utilisateur d'au moins un des suivants
: un serveur d'abonné domestique, HSS, (601), une entité de gestion de mobilité, MME,
(602), un système de facturation (603), et une passerelle d'évolution d'architecture
de système, SAE, (605).
5. Méthode informatisée selon la revendication 1, la ressource mobile comprenant au moins
un des suivants : activités de signalisation, débit, occupation de la session, cryptage,
et transcodage.
6. Système d'optimisation de la capacité d'équipements de réseau dans des réseaux mobiles,
le système comprenant :
un processeur ; et
une mémoire couplée au processeur et comprenant des instructions lisibles par ordinateur,
qui, lors de leur exécution par un processeur, donnent lieu à l'exécution, par le
processeur :
la réception d'une prévision d'utilisation basée sur un identifiant d'utilisateur
(501) et un attribut d'utilisateur, l'identifiant d'utilisateur (501) correspondant
à une caractéristique d'un utilisateur de réseau mobile, l'attribut d'utilisateur
correspondant à au moins une caractéristique d'utilisation du réseau mobile par l'utilisateur
de réseau mobile, la prévision d'utilisation comprenant des informations correspondant
à une utilisation future prévue de données par l'utilisateur de réseau mobile, l'utilisation
future prévue de données de réseau mobile correspondant à au moins une ressource mobile
;
la réception d'un niveau de capacité d'au moins une passerelle de réseau de données
en mode paquet existante, PGW, (703) et d'une virtualisation de fonction réseau, NFV,
PGW (704), le PGW (703) existant comprenant une capacité fixe pour l'au moins une
ressource mobile, et le NFV PGW (704) comprenant une capacité configurable pour l'au
moins une ressource mobile ;
le calcul d'une décision de routage sur la base d'une comparaison de la prévision
d'utilisation et du niveau de capacité, la décision de routage étant associée avec
la direction d'une passerelle de desserte, SGW, (702) pour acheminer l'utilisateur
de réseau mobile à l'au moins une de la PGW (703) existante et de la NFV PGW (704)
; et
la transmission de la décision de routage à la SGW (702).
7. Système selon la revendication 6, l'au moins une caractéristique d'utilisation du
réseau mobile par l'utilisateur de réseau mobile comprenant la quantité d'utilisation
précédente du réseau mobile (504), une heure corrélant à l'utilisation du réseau mobile
(505), l'emplacement de l'appareil mobile correspondant à l'utilisateur mobile (506),
le temps d'utilisation en itinérance de l'appareil mobile (507), la marque et le modèle
de l'appareil mobile (508), l'application installée dans l'appareil mobile (509),
le système d'exploitation et la version du micro-logiciel de l'appareil mobile (510),
l'abonnement (511), la cote restante (512) et des informations démographiques (513).
8. Système selon la revendication 6, l'au moins une caractéristique de l'utilisateur
du réseau mobile comprenant un identifiant d'appareil mobile ou un numéro de téléphone.
9. Système selon la revendication 6, le processeur étant en outre amené à recevoir l'attribut
d'utilisateur d'au moins un des suivants : un serveur d'abonné domestique, HSS, (601),
une entité de gestion de mobilité, MME, (602), un système de facturation (603), et
une passerelle d'évolution d'architecture de système, SAE, (604).
10. Système selon la revendication 6, la ressource mobile comprenant au moins un des suivants
: activités de signalisation, débit, occupation de la session, cryptage, et transcodage.